Bugatti Race Cars

1. Bugatti Type 35

Widely cited as the most successful racing car of all time. Racked up over 1,000 wins in its various forms.

It was from 1924 onwards that the Bugatti Type 35 caused a worldwide sensation. With the newly designed sports car, the powerful eight-cylinder engine, the sophisticated front axle and the light aluminium wheels, Bugatti was to dominate race tracks worldwide in the coming years. No matter whether on circuits or road races: the Bugatti Type 35 is considered a technical masterpiece, nearly impossible to be beaten.

For the first time, a double roller-bearing and triple ball-bearing crank operation was used, which allowed the engine with the eight pistons to rotate at up to 6000 rpm. Thanks to two instead of one carburetor, the output of the initially 2.0-liter engine increased to up to 95 hp, and the power was transmitted via a wet multi-plate clutch.

The first Type 35 drove faster than 190 km/h and easily passed all its competitors. In the later evolution model, the Type 35 B, with 2.3-liter eight-cylinder and supercharger, the power increased to up to 140 hp and the top speed to over 215 km/h. In 1924, Bugatti used the Type 35 in mountain races such as the one in Gometz-le-Châtel near Paris, where the open sports car demonstrated its power by being the first to race through the finish line, leaving all the other participants behind. Its elegant lines also make it the most beautiful racing car of the era.

The Type 35 entered the Targa Florio race in Sicily for the first time in 1925 and immediately scored a victory. Four more times models of the Type 35 arise as winners in this long-distance race on public mountain roads. Overall, the Type 35 won around 2,000 races by the early 1930s, making it the most successful racing car ever. Ettore Bugatti therefore called his creation the "forefather of a breed of thoroughbred racing horses from Molsheim - a real thoroughbred."

2. Bugatti Type 57G ‘Tank’

Gave Bugatti its first ever Le Mans 24hr race victory in 1937 with a dominating performance.

The Bugatti Type 57G "Tank" is a legendary racing car that holds a special place in motorsport history, particularly for its achievements in the late 1930s. Developed by Bugatti, the Type 57G was a significant departure from the company's traditional road cars, embodying a focused effort to dominate endurance racing. The "Tank" nickname derives from its distinctive, aerodynamic, and streamlined bodywork, which was quite innovative for its time and resembled a military tank's shape.

The Type 57G Tank was based on the Type 57's chassis and mechanical components but with significant modifications for racing. This bodywork was a stark contrast to the open-top designs commonly used in racing at the time.

Underneath the aerodynamic shell, the Type 57G Tank was powered by a 3.3-liter straight-8 engine, which was derived from the Type 57 but tuned for higher performance. While not the most powerful engine in competition at the time, the car's aerodynamic efficiency allowed it to achieve higher top speeds and better fuel economy, crucial advantages in endurance racing.

The Type 57G Tank is perhaps best known for its impressive victory at the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans. Driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille and Robert Benoist, the car dominated the race, showcasing the effectiveness of its aerodynamic design and the reliability of its engineering. This victory was Bugatti's first at Le Mans.

The Type 57G Tank's success in racing, particularly at Le Mans, contributed significantly to Bugatti's legacy as a manufacturer of high-performance and technologically advanced automobiles. The car's innovative design and aerodynamic bodywork influenced future generations of racing cars, pushing the boundaries of what was considered possible in automotive engineering and design at the time.

3. Bugatti EB110S "Le Mans"

In 1994, 55 years after the last victory, Bugatti returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the EB110S "Le Mans".

Fifty years after its last appearance and second win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Bugatti returned with the EB110. The car qualified a very competitive 17th overall and 5th in the GT1 class but did not finish the race.

Presented on 15 September 1991, the GT was powered by 3.5-liter V12 turbo-compressed engine and named in honor of the 110th birthday of the constructor's founder, Ettore Bugatti, born on 15 September 1881.

The Bugatti EB 110S was fielded in the race in 1994 at the initiative of French press magnate Michel Hommell. The car arrived by road driven by Eric Hélary for Scrutineering in the grand tradition of the 24 Hours! Hélary had won the 1993 edition with Christophe Bouchut and Geoff Brabham at the wheel of a Peugeot 905, but in 1994 joined forces with fellow countrymen Jean-Christophe Boullion and Alain Cudini.

Qualified in 17th position, during the night the trio climbed to sixth place overall before experiencing turbocompressor troubles and being forced to retire after an incident only 45 minutes from the chequered flag.

Among the constructors present at that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, Bugatti was the only one to have taken the start in the first edition on 26 May 1923.

4. Bugatti Type 59 Sports

The most elegant of classic pre-war racing cars and Ettore Bugatti's last attempt to produce a competitive car.

This was Ettore Bugatti's last attempt to produce a competitive car to match Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and the threatened domination of Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz.

The Bugatti Type 59 was not a single-seater. The chassis was modeled on that of the Bugatti Type 54, with side members very deep at the scuttle and tapered elegantly towards the front on both sides of the classic radiator and meeting at the rear within the slim tail fairing. The frame of this particular Type 59 dates from the first batch of 1933 works cars and chassis. Subsequently in 1934 these early cars and chassis were replaced by new trepanned frames in an attempt to keep the cars within the 750 kg weight limit.

Works drivers included Dreyfus, Brivio, Benoist, Wimille, and, as an independent, the great Tazio Nuvolari. Initially campaigned in 2.8 liter form, the Type 59 was subsequently (at the behest of Nuvolari) enlarged to 3.3 liters. Whilst eventually outstripped by the German teams, the Bugatti 59's performance and race winning record was exceptional. Podium finishes in 1934 including first and second places in the Belgian GP by Dreyfus and Brivio; first place in the Algiers GP by Wimille; third place in the Monaco GP by Dreyfus; third place in the Spanish GP by Nuvolari; third place in the Swiss GP by Dreyfus.

In 1935, Type 59's won first and second places in several races. In 1936, the Type 59 won first place at the Deauville GP by Wimille and had a few podium finishes elsewhere. In 1937, first place at the Pau GP, Bona GP (North Africa) and Mame GP.

5. Bugatti Type 13

Achieved remarkable success in early motorsport, winning numerous races and setting records. 

As early as 1911, the Type 13 finished second at the France Grand Prix. The combination of a light and agile body with a strong and reliable engine was new at the time. After World War I, Bugatti was only able to resume production in 1919. First with the well-known Type 13, but clearly much more refined, since Bugatti used the production-free period to continue improving the technology.

The previous 1.3-liter four-cylinder had been given a four-valve cylinder head for faster and better gas throughput. This makes the Type 13 one of the first cars with four-valve technology. One hundred years ago, white metal for crankshaft bearings and pistons was just as new as a gasoline pump and a pump that sprayed oil on selected components. From 1920, two spark plugs per combustion chamber ignite the mixture more quickly in the four-cylinder racing version, the energy they receive from two magnets.

The Type 13 took first place in its first major assignment, the race in the Voiturettes class (light racing car) at the French Grand Prix in Le Mans - with a 20-minute lead over the runner-up. The small, high-performance car quickly became popular - with both racing drivers and spectators. A year later, the volume of the Type 13 engine was just under 1.5 liters and an output of up to 50 hp. In addition to the power, the low weight of less than 400 kilograms also plays a role in the races: the Type 13 drives reliably, allows ease and speed of manoeuvre around the bends, especially in races on public roads with the often poor pavement. Flat tires, broken axles or burst engines are a rarity in the racing car.

The Type 13 won races on Lake Garda, mountain races on Mont Angel near Monte Carlo, South Harting, Limonest near Lyon and La Turbie near Nice. Bugatti successfully modified the general concept of the Type 13 with different body lengths of the vehicle, calling the resulting variations Type 15, Type 17, Type 22 and Type 23. The use in Brescia is still famous to this day: in 1921 the Type 13 took the first four places at the Grand Prix of the Voiturettes and cemented its unbeatable status. Its surname is therefore to this day: Brescia. All subsequent four-valve vehicles now bear this name.

6. Bugatti Type 32 Tank

Commonly called the Tank de Tours, it was a streamlined racing car built in 1923. Yeah, 1923.

The occasion was the French Grand Prix of 2 July 1923, the venue the city of Tours in the beautiful Loire Valley, where 300,000 spectators gathered to enjoy an event that promised plenty of high-octane excitement from an array of cutting-edge race cars. The car that attracted the most attention, however, was the bold machine that was testament to the genius of Ettore Bugatti, and his relentless quest for improvement by defying convention.

It had an airplane-inspired wing-shaped body, a result of Bugatti’s conviction that advanced aerodynamics would have an increasingly important role to play in enhancing the performance of racing cars. Under the skin it was based heavily on the Type 30 – with its 2.0-litre eight-cylinder engine developing in the region of 90 PS. The car benefited from numerous innovative engineering solutions, techniques and designs. There was an underslung chassis and front hydraulic brakes, while a three-speed and reverse transaxle transmission added to the sense of adventure. Unsurprisingly, such an unorthodox car – with dramatic idiosyncratic looks – was very much the center of attention.

In total, five Type 32s were built – a prototype plus the four cars which took part in the Grand Prix, an affair that constituted a grueling 35 laps of the 22.83-kilometer circuit on public roads, for a total distance of just under 800 kilometers. Of these four cars, the most successful was piloted by French driver Ernest Friderich, who finished third, completing the race in seven hours and 22.4 seconds at an average speed of just over 112 km/h. It was a creditable finish for the Type 32, but Tours was to prove its only GP appearance, as Bugatti instead focused on developing the iconic Type 35.

Despite its short GP career, the Type 32 proved an invaluable exercise for Bugatti, and many of the lessons learned were ultimately to pay dividends. In particular, the belief that aerodynamic efficiency could play such a pivotal, decisive role was proven conclusively in another race car whose streamlined, enclosed body earned it the ‘Tank’ moniker, the 57G.